AseptSoft Core Documentation
AseptSoft Core Documentation
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Connectors

Assigning a single State to an Engineering Item is sometimes not enough to describe its behavior. For example, a four-way valve cannot simply be "open" or "closed" — each of its endings may have a different state independently.

Connectors (also called End Connections) solve this problem by representing each pipe ending of an Engineering Item as an independently controllable connection point.

In pharmaceutical processes, connectors are essential for modeling complex valve assemblies — such as a multi-port sampling valve where one port leads to product, another to CIP return, and a third to drain, each with its own state per process step.

⚙️ How Connectors Work

When an Engineering Item has more than 2 connectors, each connector can be controlled independently with its own State and percentage value in each Step.

👁️ Visibility Rules

Condition

Behavior

All connectors have the same State and percentage

Engineering Item shows its normal color

Any connector differs from the others

Engineering Item loses its color; each connector displays individually with its own State color

💊 Pharma example: A 4-way valve on a CIP manifold has 4 connectors. During the caustic wash, the top connector is "Open" (green, allowing CIP Caustic in), the bottom connector is "Open" (green, sending caustic to the vessel), the left connector is "Closed" (red, blocking the WFI line), and the right connector is "Closed" (red, blocking drain). Because the connectors differ, the valve body becomes uncolored and each connector shows its own state color independently.

📋 Connector Properties

Each End Connection is characterized by the following properties:

Property

Description

Nickname

Unique name among the Engineering Item's end connections, used for Excel exporting

Relative Location

Position relative to the block's insertion point

Active State

The current State assigned to this connector

Percentage

Value (0–100 %) for the active state

Blocked Pairs

List of other connectors that fluid cannot flow to from this connector

In-State Blocked Pairs

State-specific blocking rules — different blocked pairs per State

🚫 Blocked Pairs

Blocked Pairs determine which other connectors within the same Engineering Item cannot receive fluid from a given connector. This is essential for modeling real-world valve behavior.

💊 Pharma example: In a 4-way divert valve on a process line, if fluid enters from the bottom connector (from the process vessel), it may be allowed to flow to the top connector (to filling) and the left connector (to CIP return) but blocked from the right connector (nitrogen supply). This prevents accidental cross-contamination in the simulation.

🎨 Visual Feedback During Editing

When editing blocked pairs, connectors display with color coding:

Color

Meaning

Black

Source connector (the one you're configuring)

Green

Currently allowed destination

Red

Currently blocked destination

🖱️ Commands

Global Blocking/Binding

Command

Description

Block Pair

Block fluid flow between two connectors (applies to all States)

Bind Pair

Allow fluid flow between two connectors (removes block, applies to all States)

Connect All End Connections

Automatically connects all connectors in the current drawing and removes all blockages

State-Specific Blocking/Binding

Command

Description

Block In State

Block fluid flow between connectors only in the current State

Bind In State

Allow fluid flow between connectors only in the current State

💊 Pharma example: On a mix-proof valve, the top connector should block the right connector during the "Production" state (preventing product from reaching the CIP return), and block the left connector during the "CIP" state (preventing CIP fluid from reaching the product line). Use Block In State for each state to configure these state-specific rules.

🛠️ How To: Configure Blocked Pairs

  1. Run the Block Pair command from the ribbon or command line

  2. Click a point close to the source connector you want to configure

  3. All connectors become visible with color coding (black = source, green = allowed, red = blocked)

  4. Click on connectors to toggle their blocked status

  5. Press Esc or click an already-blocked connector to finish

📐 End Connection Layer

Connectors are visualized on a dedicated AutoCAD layer: AseptSoft EndConnection

This layer is managed automatically by AseptSoft and displays connection point markers when end connections have divergent states.

🌊 Integration with Fluid Flow

End Connections are critical nodes in the Fluidstream Simulation. In the fluid flow graph:

  • Each End Connection becomes a node in the simulation graph

  • Blocked pairs prevent fluid from traversing between specific connectors

  • State-specific blocks allow dynamic flow routing based on the active condition

  • The Divergent State is applied to end connections when an Engineering Item has mixed states across its connectors